Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Can you smell it in the air? It’s that beautiful Tuesday smell of new books! What makes this Tuesday special, though? Freya Barker has a new book out and we’re foaming-at-the-mouth excited! The brilliant close to the Portland ME series, Still Air is finally out!

Deprival haunted her…

Regret troubled her…

Silence left her detached…

A life in the service of others is both penance and a blessing. She soothes her personal hell by pulling victims from theirs, helping them on their path to survival; never finding her own. When a crippling blow finally evaporates her last hope, the temptation to give up is strong. Still, she can’t find it in her to turn her back on those who need her: the innocent, whose rescue is her perpetual goal.

He was blind, but now he sees how his family has sifted through his fingers. The reality hits hard when his son becomes a stranger, slipping deeper into transgression. Concern has him call on the one person he fears will see his own failures all too clearly. A woman he’s kept his distance from for his own protection.

What appeared to be an incompatible pairing, turns out the unyielding bond needed to heal them all.

Author of the popular Cedar Tree series, as well as the critically acclaimed standalone From Dust, Freya Barker is driven to make her stories about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.

Recipient of the RomCon Reader’s Choice Award for best first book, Slim To None, Freya has hit the ground running. She loves nothing more than to meet and mingle with her readers, whether it be online or in person at one of the signings she attends.

With her kids grown and out in the world, Freya has poured her creative energy into spinning story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

It is with heavy hearts that we lift our cups (filled with cold coffee, but we’re drinking it anyway. Don’t judge.) to the memory of beloved author and literary legend, Jo Beverley, who has passed on today.

In a sense, she was the quintessential Romance writer: stories flowed freely through her, heroes and heroines were strong and unforgettable, themes had substance, her language had clarity and richness, her books were masterful, one after another. The connections among her stories were intricately mapped out in brilliant ways, and her sense of history was impeccable–and on top of that powerful combination of elements, she was elegantly English and very, very smart and far-seeing.

Print-lovers and Romance fans (all of us, my lovelies), rejoice! We’re teaming up with the creators of 1001 Dark Nights to bring you versions of these beautiful books you can hold in your hands with all new Signature Editions. Can you tell we’re excited? We are obnoxiously excited. We are your best friend who’s had to much caffeine and has a story to tell levels of excited. Let us tell you this beautiful story.

1001 Dark Nights and EverAfter Romance today announced they have formed a partnership to expand the reach of the fast-growing Romance series and introduce a new line for the brand in print. 1001 Dark Nights, launched in 2014 by book industry marketing veteran and New York Times bestselling author, M.J. Rose, and Liz Berry, executive director of the International Thriller Writers Association, has over forty titles to its name, all by bestselling Romance authors. The series offers readers monthly novellas based on the Arabian Nights tale of Scheherazade, told in a wide variety of romance genres, from Paranormal, to Contemporary, to Western.

“The book discovery process is still richest in physical stores and EverAfter is at the forefront of enabling innovative authors and publishers to enter the brick and mortar world in an equally innovative way,” says Rose and Berry. “We’re very excited to bring our amazing authors’ novellas to bookstores everywhere and help readers discover them.”

“We are thrilled to partner with M.J. and Liz on this new endeavor. Both 1001 Dark Nights and EverAfter are innovative, indie businesses striving to help authors reach new audiences, and I think together we will be a creative force in the marketplace,” says Mary Cummings, Director of Content Acquisition and Business Development of EverAfter Romance. “We can’t wait to get these books in front of new readers.”

Oxford Dictionary announced that the word of the year is the laughing/crying emoji and many people were none too thrilled. Buzzfeed collected some of the responses people shared on Twitter. Personally I agree with the majority that it’s not a word. Given the also announced shortlist, they had a plenty of options that are actual words! What do you think?

Last but not least, check out the winners of the 2015 National Book Award listed on their website!

Earlier this week, Jennifer L. Armentrout announced that aspiring authors will have the chance to win a trip to the 2016 RT Book Lovers’ Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada for the third consecutive year.

Last year I had the pleasure of being one of the judges and really got to see how great of an opportunity this is for aspiring authors! Below are some of the details for this year’s contest:

Unpublished authors and writers 18 years or older can enter the contest by submitting a 1500 word original short story or using one or a combination of titles by Jennifer L. Armentrout (or her penname of J. Lynn), Jay Crownover, Veronica Rossi, Christopher Rice, and Wendy Higgins by December 31, 2015 or before 150 entries are received.

Entries will be judged by an all-star cast of bestselling authors Jennifer L. Armentrout, Veronica Rossi, Wendy Higgins, Cora Carmack, Christina Lauren, Christopher Rice and Jay Crownover. Joining that team of judges is literary agent Kevan Lyon, Elissa Petruzzi of RT Book Reviews, Vilma Gonzalez (Vilma’s Book Blog), Jillian Stein (Read-Love-Blog), and the most important judge: an anonymous reader. Winners will be announced on February 13, 2016.

Full details for the 3rd Annual Write Your Way to the 2016 RT Book Lovers’ Convention can be found on Jennifer’s website.

This is a great opportunity for aspiring authors and hope you’ll take advantage of it!